Shepherd of God Assisted Living closing its doors April 1

Shepherd of God Assisted Living in Grenada is closing its doors April 1 and the staff is looking for facilities for the 47 residents currently under their care.

Owner Charles Tarrats said Monday that the closure of the facility comes almost 10 years after he took over the facility, which provides care for elderly and memory-impaired residents.

Tarrats said that the business had a negative cashflow for about nine of those 10 years, and that the debt incurred became “so much we can’t do it anymore.”

For the 47 residents who will need a new home, Tarrats said the search is underway for other assisted living facilities with enough available space and the resources to care for patients with limited ability to pay.

The Shepherd of God website states that Tarrats “looks at this endeavor as ministry to a frail segment of our society and has not earned a dime in salary or in profit in over nine years of ownership.”

Despite the finances, Tarrats said, “we did a lot of good,” and that the venture provided him with the opportunity to spread a positive mesage while caring for the elderly. “We wouldn’t do it any other way,” he said.

Tarrats expects there to be a sale of the equipment and furnishings in the building after the closure, but he was less sure about his individual future.

“It’s in God’s hands now,” he said. “I’m a pastor; hopefully a local church will have me.”